• Have everything ready before you start. Once you start cooking, this dish comes together fast!

Marinate the beef

• Combine the thinly sliced beef, cornstarch, soy sauce, and baking soda until the beef is evenly coated. Let marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Mix the sauce

• Whisk the soy sauce and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth. Then mix in the rest of the sauce ingredients.

Stir fry the beef

• In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over high heat until almost smoking. The pan should be very hot to sear the beef and give it a crispy exterior without overcooking it. Working in batches so the pan is not overcrowded, add half of the beef to the pan and stir fry until slightly crispy on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with the second half of the beef.

Stir fry the veggies

• Heat ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan over high heat. Add the celery, red bell peppers, and white parts of the onion and stir fry until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Cook the aromatics, chilies, and the sauce

• Heat the last ½ tablespoon in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, dried chilies, and Sichuan pepper, if using, and stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in the sauce and bring to a boil. It will begin to thicken almost immediately. Stir in the cooked beef, veggies, peanuts, and green onion and allow to heat through, about 1 minute.